For example, a liquid crystal panel module includes a display panel (hereinafter, referred to as a board), and electrodes provided in vicinities of peripheral portions of the board. To the electrodes, such components as IC chip, TCP (Tape Carrier Package), COF (Chip on Film) and FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) are joined together via anisotropic conductive tape (hereinafter, referred to as conductive tape) as their electrical conductivity is ensured. Such a liquid crystal panel module is produced by a production system including a device (tape applying device) for applying conductive tape onto the electrodes of the board, a device for setting and temporarily press-bonding components onto the applied conductive tape, and a device for finally press-bonding the components.
The tape applying device, generally, includes a feed reel on which the conductive tape is wound together with a separator, an applying head for pressing the conductive tape onto an electrode of the board, and a wind-up reel for winding up the separator. The separator is a tape-like member to be fitted on one side of the conductive tape for prevention of tape-to-tape adhesion of the conductive tape wound on the reel and the like. The conductive tape fed from the feed reel is pressed against and thereby applied to the board while being heated by the applying head containing a heater. After the applying of the conductive tape, the separator is wound up to the wind-up reel.
The tape applying device further includes a tape guide section having a plurality of rollers. The tape guide section guides the conductive tape together with the separator from the feed reel to under the applying head, and guides the separator to the wind-up reel after the applying of the conductive tape.
The tape applying device controls and drives the above-described individual sections to achieve applying of the conductive tape to successively conveyed boards. As liquid crystal panels are produced, the conductive tape of the feed reel is consumed and the separator is wound up to the recovery reel. Therefore, in production of liquid crystal panels, there arises a need, from time to time, for tape replacement including processes of fitting the conductive tape to the feed reel, removing the separator from the recovery reel, and setting up the conductive tape and the separator by winding them on the tape guide section.
Conventionally, for simplification of the tape replacement, there has been proposed a tape applying device in which both reels and the tape guide section are integrally formed as a tape holding unit and provided so as to be fittable to and removable from a base section having a driving section for driving the two reels and rollers included in the tape guide section (see, e.g., PTL1). With such an arrangement, the tape holding unit can be removed from the tape applying device for tape replacement, making it easier to do the tape replacement.
For applying of the conductive tape to the board, this tape applying device lowers the tape holding unit to set the conductive tape close to board, and thereafter presses the conductive tape against the board by the applying head. As a result of this, heating and denaturation of the conductive tape before the applying of the conductive tape to the board can be prevented, so that shifts of the applying position or the like can be reduced.